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Mary Forbes received B.C. achievement award

Mary Forbes was among 32 British Columbians honoured at the 10th annual British Columbia Community Achievement Award.
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Mary Forbes (centre) receives the BC Community Achievement Award from The Hon. Judith Guichon

Mary Forbes was among 32 British Columbians honoured at the 10th annual British Columbia Community Achievement Awards’ ceremony held at Government House in Victoria on March 14.

The Honourable Judith Guichon, B.C. Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia and Honourable Ida Chong, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation presented each recipient with a BC Community Achievement Award medallion and certificate.

Chair Keith Mitchell, QC represented the British Columbia Achievement Foundation, the award’s presenting organization.

“They are citizens from all over the province whose contributions, leadership and inspiration have helped to make their British Columbia communities more caring, dynamic, beautiful, healthy and unique,” Minister Chong, said in the announcement. Chong is also a board member of the British Columbia Achievement Foundation. “What they all have in common is a passion for the people and places where they live and a strong commitment to making a difference.”

Mitchell added: “Today’s honourees give the most valuable of life’s commodities, time and energy. They do whatever needs to get done - from sitting on boards and committees to far exceeding their job descriptions to sharing their talents of organizing, fundraising, preserving a community’s heritage or teaching environmental awareness.”

Statements about each of the recipients were also released to the public with the awards.

Mary Forbes is very involved in her community. Indeed she is known as the first daughter of Williams Lake.

An active member of the Downtown Business Association, Mary is also passionate about sustainability.

Whether it’s her retail store, Dandelion Living, or her volunteer efforts as an environmental educator at the Scout Island Nature Centre, her participation in Water Wise or leading interpretive walks, Mary finds ways to bring her spirit and energy to every project.

Especially noteworthy is her leadership of the Potato House Project, where she oversaw the restoration of one of the oldest heritage homes in Williams Lake, now a centre for sustainability education.